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 Jason Coskrey

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Jason Coskrey
Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His primary focus is Japanese baseball, but he has also covered soccer, American football, boxing and basketball. He previously worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga. A native of Detroit, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 23, 2013
Giants win pennant before beating Carp
The Yomiuri Giants raced out of the dugout after the final out, as streamers and confetti rained down from the stands, and tossed their manager into the air eight times.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Sep 22, 2013
Home run king Balentien nearing another conquest
Wladimir Balentien has hit more home runs than any NPB player has ever hit in a single season and through Sunday had 13 games left to add to his record total which stood at 58.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 15, 2013
Balentien sets new Japan single-season home run record
As soon as Wladimir Balentien's bat made contact with Daiki Enokida's fastball there was no doubt: Japan had just crowned a new home run king.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 14, 2013
Swallows snap losing streak in wild encounter with Tigers
A prized rookie pitcher went head-to-head with a slugger on a historical pace before a fight broke out and before and a player dove across home plate to successfully execute a suicide squeeze.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 13, 2013
Balentien still waiting as Tigers beat Swallows
Wladimir Balentien said getting to 55 was "the hard part" in his quest to set a new single-season home run record.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 12, 2013
Carp double up Swallows; Balentien remains at 55 homers
There were plenty of balls flying out of Jingu Stadium on Thursday night.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 11, 2013
Balentien ties single-season home run record
Before facing the Hiroshima Carp, Wladimir Balentien and teammate Ryoji Aikawa decided they were going to go with a high-sock look, or as Balentien put it, "old-school, Sadaharu Oh-style."
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 11, 2013
Balentien ties single-season home run record
Wladimir Balentien turned Japanese baseball's record-setting trio into a quartet.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 10, 2013
Balentien belts 54th home run in loss to Carp
Wladimir Balentien moved one step closer to history, and the Hiroshima Carp remained on track for a long-awaited trip to the postseason.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 6, 2013
Bass says Balentien won't get easy path to Oh's record
When Randy Bass hit his 54th home run of the year, he thought he would have a decent shot at the Japan single-season record.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 5, 2013
Obiki, Fighters clobber Hawks
Keiji Obiki helped erase a four-run deficit with a come-from-behind grand slam in the second inning, and the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters went on to rout the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 11-5 on Thursday night at Tokyo Dome.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 31, 2013
Balentien maintains poise, perspective as he chases single-season HR record
Wladimir Balentien flips on the television and takes in a rare moment of relaxation. Instead of his Tokyo Yakult Swallows uniform, which will be worn later, he's clad simply in a red T-shirt commemorating his back-to-back home run titles and yellow shorts from a past NPB All-Star Series.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 30, 2013
Balentien belts 52nd home run, moves closer to single-season record
Wladimir Balentien took another step toward the single-season home run record, while the Tokyo Yakult Swallows dealt a blow to their opponents' Climax Series hopes.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 27, 2013
Giants showcase winning formula in series opener against archrival Tigers
The Yomiuri Giants brought back the magic and dispatched one of their toughest rivals in the process.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Aug 22, 2013
Time to salute Ichiro's amazing feat, leave debate aside
Ichiro Suzuki took off his helmet to reveal a head a little more salt than pepper as he bowed in appreciation of the reception he was receiving after joining an exclusive club with the 4,000th professional hit of his career between Japan and the U.S. at Yankee Stadium.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Aug 19, 2013
German giving master class in fine art of stealing bases
Esteban German is looking for a sign. Not one of a divine nature, but something — anything from the movement of a shoulder to the shifting of weight — that can serve as his cue to leave the safe haven of first base and make a mad dash to second.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 18, 2013
Upbeat Morgan makes impact on, off field for BayStars
It doesn't take a lot of digging to get to the root of Nyjer Morgan as a baseball player. The Yokohama BayStars outfielder practices hard, plays hard and, as a point of pride, keeps things refreshingly simple.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 17, 2013
Giants' Chono slugs clutch home run in victory over Dragons
The third time was the charm for Hisayoshi Chono on Saturday afternoon.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 16, 2013
Eagles' Tanaka sets NPB record by winning 21st straight decision
Masahiro Tanaka's winning streak has come a long way since his loss to the Seibu Lions last season.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 15, 2013
Status of posting system may put Tanaka in limbo
Masahiro Tanaka figures to be one of the most intriguing NPB exports if the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles decide to post the star right-hander after the season.

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